WRC recommends €5,000 for barista after finding café’s treatment made job untenable

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

The Workplace Relations Commission recommended that a café pay €5,000 to a barista who resigned after being transferred to another branch. Adjudicator Tom O’Driscoll found the transfer amounted to a disciplinary sanction imposed without a proper or impartial investigation, and that the employer’s treatment made the job untenable for her.

The worker said she was accused of misconduct, including undercharging and giving away items, and was told she was too friendly with customers. The employer denied bullying or intimidation and said the transfer was a temporary step during fact-finding. Its representative, Annalee Brazel, submitted that the worker had admitted occasionally charging less than the listed price, selling products at reduced prices near the end of their shelf life and giving away leftover items for free. The adjudicator preferred the worker’s account of an encounter on 7 January and found the employer’s actions constituted unfair treatment. The €5,000 recommendation was non-binding.